The invention relates to a soldering device comprising: a solder tower; transporting means for carrying the objects for soldering along the upper part of the solder tower; means for causing a solder wave to emerge from the solder tower, which wave comes into contact with the underside of the objects for soldering.
Such soldering machines are generally known.
Such known soldering machines suffer from the drawback that through the presence of air, and in particular the presence of oxygen in the air, the solder wave oxidizes at a temperature of about 250.degree., whereby more flux is required to remove oxides, as otherwise the quality of the obtained solder joint leaves something to be desired. Due to rapid oxidation the solder circulating inside the soldering devices is also contaminated.
To avoid this problem it is generally known to perform soldering operations in an environment substantially excluding oxygen, that is, in an environment in which mainly a protective gas is present. In order to keep this protective gas in place complicated devices are usually necessary. The object of the present invention is to provide a soldering device wherein with simple means an atmosphere of protective gas is maintained only at the places where this is necessary.
This object is achieved in that the device comprises feed means for supplying protective gas to the direct vicinity of the solder wave.
It thus becomes possible with relatively simple means to create an atmosphere substantially excluding oxygen at the places where this is necessary, namely at the place where the solder joint is being formed.
According to a preferred embodiment the feed means are adapted to supply gas substantially excluding oxygen to the side of the solder wave located downstream of the direction of movement of the objects for soldering.
The protective gas is hereby supplied to the place where the presence of oxygen is the most critical.